Cold Hearts
by Moremyselfthaniam
Summary: This is the story of Bruce and Lila and how their relationship evolved during High School, College and Adulthood.  The story starts in the year 2011 and it is unapologetic in ignoring the rubbish that was Sweet Valley Confidential.
1. Chapter 1 The Old and the New

_**I've always loved the Sweet Valley series despite it's many, many flaws and I especially loved (and still do!) the characters of Bruce and Lila who always seemed to be on an entirely different level of awesomeness compared to the rest of the characters. They were the only characters that seemed to have a backbone and who never tried to be someone other than who they were. I was thrilled to read about their relationship in Sweet Valley University and dismayed to hear that it was dismissed as a "fling" in Sweet Valley Confidential, which it clearly wasn't. Writing this story is part of my effort to give their relationship the epic story that it deserved, but never got. I'll hopefully be uploading a new chapter every 1-2 weeks. Please leave reviews!**_

Chapter 1: The Old and The New

"Would you like some Bolivian chocolate cake?" Lila quite rudely extended the tray she was carrying to the gentleman in front of her and his wife. He raised his eyebrows at her unexpected decorum and cautiously took a piece of cake. He and his wife quickly walked away. Lila rolled her eyes. She honestly didn't care about what anyone from this party thought about her. They weren't "her type" of people. The party was part of one of the many charity fundraisers that the Patman family threw every year. Her family and the Patmans dined and catered to two different sectors of the elite in Sweet Valley. The guest probably recognized her, but they weren't concerned enough with the Fowler family to care.

She looked down at her uniform that she had reluctantly put on after Bruce reminded her that she had promised to fulfill every part of her side of the bargain that they had made. She regretted that she had ever made the bet with Bruce, although she would never admit that to him. She had known Bruce her entire life and she should have known better. Making bets with him was like making a deal with the devil. Especially when the bet was concerned with horse racing, which Bruce was an expert at. He had always been able to bet on the right horse and one day, he bragged about it so much that Lila called him out on it since no one else had. Lila said that she was placing her bet on ROCKET, a horse that she knew would win. Lila actually didn't know anything about ROCKET's potential as a race horse and had picked a random horse to bet on. However, she couldn't let Bruce brag indefinitely; she was the only one with enough money and nerve to challenge him and keep him in his place.

She looked over to where Bruce was standing. He was talking animatedly with some of the guests. They were obviously hanging on to his every word. She had to hand it to him. Bruce knew how to talk the talk of the upper class in Sweet Valley. Why wouldn't he? He, like Lila, had been rich his entire life; he knew no other way of being. They both had practically been born with silver spoons in their mouths. Both their families, however, were as different as night and day and had despised each other deeply for as long as Lila could remember. Her family, the Fowlers , wanted to make way for the new industries that were beginning to establish their roots in Sweet Valley and that would help to modernize the city. The Patman's, Bruce's family, however, wanted to stick to the old industries that were at the heart of Sweet Valley as a way to preserve the old way of living and the city's naturally rich history. Throughout Lila's life she remembered with great vividness the moments when the two families clashed over everything from properties to ideologies to money. During such times, "feuding times" as she liked to call them, Bruce and her were not allowed to even speak a word to each other or to even acknowledge each other. Lila and Bruce would always honor such rules since they both were extremely loyal to their families. And besides, it wasn't like they spoke a whole lot to each other regularly. In fact, she treated every day as if their families were feuding. The less they spoke to each other or saw each other, the better. She knew with absolutely certainly that Bruce felt the exact same way.

However, Bruce and Lila's hatred of each other extended beyond their families' hatred of each other. It was personal. There were so many things that she hatred about him: his arrogance, the way that he flaunted his wealth, his womanizing ways, and the way he always knew how to upset her regardless of the situation. People often remarked about how similar they both were, but Lila could never see it.

Bruce's haughty voice interrupted her thoughts. "Remember, Lila," he said, "service with a smile." He gave her one of his wide smiles to show her what he meant.

"I'll serve this crap however I like," she said faking a really broad smile that turned into a frown. _He's not even worth my time,_ Lila thought. She turned around and started to pass slices of cake to other guests.

"Hey," Bruce said following her, much to her dismay. "All I'm saying is that you've been frowning all night. Don't think I haven't noticed. That's certainly not how we like to serve our guests." Bruce waved his finger at her as if he was scolding her for not grasping an important lesson.

"I was frowning because I was thinking of you and your stupid bet and how I have to wear this stupid outfit at this tacky get together that you call a party."

"My, my aren't we feisy tonight!" Bruce said enthusiastically. Lila could see the delight in his eyes. He absolutely loved annoying her and took perverse joy in seeing her anger get the best of her. He gave her one of his wolfish grins, which generally gave women the strong impression that he was charming and sexy, but Lila just thought that it made him look stupid and arrogant. Lila prided herself for being immune to all his charms. She knew all his moves and the air of mystery that women always said he had had burned out long ago for Lila.

"You went into the bet fully aware of the terms of our bargain," Bruce continued in a serious tone. "So don't you dare complain."

"Fine. However, your stupid bargain said nothing about smiling being compulsory for the task. And I most certainly don't have to like it either." With that said, Lila marched away from him and headed towards the kitchen to refill her plate. She looked back and saw Bruce frowning in her direction. He snatched a glass of wine from a tray nearby and before the servant could tell him that he wasn't old enough to drink, he gave the servant a look that dared him to speak. The servant quickly shut his mouth and walked away. Bruce drank the entire glass in one gulp, slammed the empty glass on a nearby table and stalked off angrily to talk to other guests, shaking his head as he went. Lila smiled. Satisfaction and joy spread through her. Annoying Bruce was always so difficult to do, but the rewards were great when it did happen. And even though the indignation wasn't too hard to build up, it was a lot of work. She grabbed a glass of wine from a nearby counter that seemed clean and drowned it in one gulp, just as Bruce had done moments before. She didn't feel tipsy since she had been exposed to wines since the age of 12, even though at that age, she was only allowed small sips every now and then. While most of her classmates at Sweet Valley High were completely ignorant of the different types of wines, she knew every major wine that was produced in every major country in the world. She knew which wines were the finest and most expensive and could detect even the most subtle differences between two very similar wines.

"Excuse me, miss. Are you old enough to drink?" Lila turned around to reply to the voice that had spoken to her. She was going to tell him exactly who she was, but when she turned around, she encountered the most beautiful hazel eyes she had ever seen. He had sandy blonde hair and perfect, even complexion. He looked about her age.

"Uh..." Lila struggled to find the words that she had intended to say.

He smiled and looked at Lila's uniform, an expression of delight suddenly spreading across his face. "Do you work for Chris' Catering too? I'm sorry, I thought you were one of those snobbish guests that are at this party. They're a bit unbearable. But now I see that you're just one of us. My name is Kent Matthews, by the way." He extended his hand and Lila looked at it uncertainly. She was partly thrown off by his criticism of rich people and partly mesmerized by his eyes and smile.

"I promise I won't tell anyone about the drink," he said, sensing her hesitancy.

Lila shook his hand and felt a warmth spread through her. She felt a smile form on her face. "My name is Katherine. It's nice to meet you. I was just taking a break. It's exhausting serving these people," she said giving an exaggerated sigh that she hoped was convincing.

"Yeah, tell me about it." His gaze moved to the clock that was behind Lila. "Well, my shift is actually over. I'll see you around." He looked at her once more and smiled broadly. "I was nice meeting you, Katherine."

"You too," Lila said quietly as she watched him exit through the back door of the kitchen.

_What was that about_, she thought to herself. Why did she just lie about who she was to Kent? She hadn't been thinking clearly and she certainly didn't want to turn him off by revealing who she was. If he was disgusted by the Patman family's wealth, she couldn't imagine how he would react to her family's wealth which was far greater. Nevertheless, Lila felt guilty for lying to someone like Kent who was clearly so nice. She promised herself that she would tell him who she really was the next time that she saw him. Lila suddenly realized that she didn't have his phone number or any other way to contact him. She rushed outside and felt the night air whip across her face. She didn't see him anywhere. She remained where she was for a couple of minutes longer in case she caught a glimpse of his car, but no car came or went.


	2. Chapter 2 The Patman Mansion

_**I'm sorry that this chapter is a bit long, but I absolutely enjoyed writing the banter between Bruce and Lila and I also loved writing about their family backgrounds and how different they both are. Please leave reviews!**_

Chapter 2: The Patman Mansion

Lila drove her brilliant blue prius through the hillside that made up the Eastern side of Sweet Valley where the Patman family had lived for as long as Lila could remember. The Fowlers lived on the Western side and if Lila recalled correctly, the distance between their homes was the largest distance between any two properties in Sweet Valley. _As it should be_, Lila thought. Lila rarely visited this side of Sweet Valley, but she immediately saw that it was very different from where she lived. The Western side really represented what her family was all about, with the abundant business offices, stores and busy streets, all unmistakably modern in architecture and style. The Patman family home might as well be in the middle of nowhere. The Eastern side was surrounded by the wine country and was where the canning, mining and fishing industries thrived. There were many small lakes, mountainous terrain, and wide grassy areas.

Lila family was "new" money since her family's fortune was relatively new compared to the Patman family fortune which went back several generations. Thus, Bruce liked to brag that his family fortune was "old" money and had been around a lot longer than hers. Lila would always shut him up by reminding him of which family in Sweet Valley held the honor of being named the richest by _The California Elite_. Looking around, the landscape and the place felt very strange and foreign to her.

She finally arrived at a big golden gate that guarded the Patman Mansion. She drove up to the intercom and pressed the red button so that she could speak with security or whoever managed the gates.

"Welcome to the Patman Mansion. Whom am I speaking with and what is the reason for your visit?" The tone of the gentleman that spoke was very stern and crisp and Lila guessed that it was Charles, the Patman family butler that had served the family since Bruce was born.

"Hello, Charles. This is Lila and I'm here to see Bruce. It's regarding a...personal matter." She hesitated when stating the reason for her visit. She didn't want to reveal too much to the "hired help" even if it was Charles. They didn't have any business knowing.

"Good morning to you Ms. Fowler. One moment please." Lila sighed. He was probably asking Bruce for authorization to allow her entry. This might take a while, she thought. She opened a granola bar she had brought with her and spent the next few minutes munching on it. Finally, Charles returned.

"You may enter," he said, his tone a little harsher than it was before. He hung up and the golden gates in front of her car began to open. Well, Lila thought, not only are the servants here slow, but they are also rude.

Lila drove all the way down the long paved road that lead straight to the Patman family mansion, passing by the many servants who were tending to the lawns and the countless flowers and trees that grew along the road. The mansion was very large and the only home in all of Sweet Valley that rivaled it in size, elegance and monetary value was her own home. Unlike her home which reflected the current craze that was Spanish architecture, the Patman Mansion reflected a style that harked back to an older era since it had been built when the family had first acquired their fortune in the early 1900s. The building was mostly grey and looked very dark, unlike her own home which was light in color and bright in appearance. She drove around the central fountain in front of the house and she saw that there was already a gentleman waiting to take care of her car for her. She got out of her car and she could already feel a million eyes on her. She at first thought that it was because of her outfit. She was wearing a loose, strapless one-piece green pantsuit that clashed beautifully with her vibrant red hair. She had a gold belt that accentuated her slim waist, expensive gold looped earrings and dangerously high heels. She then realized that it must be because they recognized who she was. She shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes. She gave the gentleman her car keys. "Not a scratch. Understand?" Lila gestured between the gentleman and the car as she spoke. The gentleman gave his head a brief nod and bowed to her respectfully.

"Good morning, Lila," said a deep voice behind her. "For what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" Lila identified the voice as belonging to Bruce and his tone was that of mock politeness. Her visit and presence could hardly be a pleasure for him. Lila turned around and saw Bruce on the steps, his hands folded behind him. He had a very broad smile on his face. Lila narrowed her eyes in suspicion. What could he possibly be happy about? Lila always thought that Bruce was a bit like false advertising. He was very handsome on the outside, even she had to admit that, but he was the devil on the inside. By always keeping that in mind, she was able to resist the pull that most women experienced in his presence. This morning he was wearing a plaid white shirt that stretched across his muscular chest and khaki pants with sandals.

"I need to talk to you," she said as she walked up the steps. She stepped close to him once she reached the top of the steps where he was. She could smell his rich aftershave and cologne. "It's private," she whispered, aware that there were servants looking at the pair of them curiously.

"A dark, seductive secret?" He wiggled his eyebrows and smiled devilishly.

Lila didn't appreciate his interest. "Something like that," she said as she walked passed him and into his home.

"Please, why don't you come in?" Bruce said rather annoyed that she didn't have the courtesy to wait to be invited. He followed her inside.

Lila didn't know what to expect when she walked into the his home since the last time that she had been here had been about 6 years ago and her memory was a bit foggy. Everything was grey, but there were fresh flowers everywhere and the windows and floors were covered with rich fabrics. A giant crystal chandelier hung above them and a tall, elegant staircase lay in front of them, leading the way to the second floor and beyond.

"I feel like I'm in enemy territory," Lila said as she looked cautiously around and handed her coat to Charles.

"Well, obviously," Bruce replied in a matter-of-fact manner. Then he broke into a wide grin again. "You haven't been here in a while, right? Shall I give you the grand tour?" He gestured grandly around the space that they currently were in.

Lila grimaced and gave an inward groan of exasperation. When she had originally thought of paying Bruce a visit in order to get the information that she needed, she had been stupid enough to think that she would be in and out in 5 minutes flat. She should have expected something like this. Bruce never missed an opportunity to brag about his wealth, especially when the listener was Lila. She and Bruce had always been competitive, ever since the day they had meet at Sweet Valley's exclusive day care center. Both their fathers had placed them at the center so that they would be able to socialize and form bonds with the other playmates for future posterity. She had been four and he had been five and already a first class idiot. He had stolen all the porcelain sand from her red sandbox, a sandbox that her father had placed at the daycare center for her own personal enjoyment when she had started to complain about the center's dull life and people. She remembered the memory surprisingly vividly. Of course, Bruce would always say that he was trying to save her from herself since he claimed that Lila would always eat the sand since she thought that it was caviar. It took Lila a long time and a lot of hard work to convince everyone otherwise. As torturous as it would be to listen to Bruce bragging about his home, Lila felt that it was far more important that she get the information that she needed and if she had to sweeten up to Bruce to do that, she would.

"Sure," she said forcing a smile. "Lead the way." Bruce looked at her for a moment, his expression full of surprise. He then let out a small chuckle and shook his head.

"I knew you wanted something," Bruce said walking towards Lila, shaking his finger at her. "Why else would you be insane enough to agree to tour my home? Gosh, I can't imagine what must be so important," he said as he ascended the staircase, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He stopped and turned around to face Lila. "Is it about global warming? Is that why you wanted to talk to me? Or poverty? Or health care?" Lila rolled her eyes and fought the strong urge to trip him on his own staircase. Lila had a strong feeling that he knew perfectly well why she was here. Why did he always have to draw everything out?

"Or is it the most pivotal topic of them all?" Bruce said after he had listed some more topics that Lila hadn't bothered listening to. "Boys." He raised his right eyebrow at Lila, looking at her questioningly. "Oh, come on Lila," he said finally rolling his eyes and turning his attention back to ascending the stairs. "I knew you wanted to talk about boys from the moment that Charles told me you were at the gate." Lila opened her mouth to fire a retort at him. "Yes, Lila, you are that predictable," Bruce said before Lila could get any words out.

"Why didn't you just get right to it then?" Although she was impatient, she tried to keep her voice steady.

"Where would be the fun in that?" he asked as they approached the top of the staircase. "Now, whose the special boy? Tell you ol' pal Bruce all about it."

Lila took a deep breath in order to calm herself. His attitude was making her nauseous. "At your banquet last night, there was a boy with sandy blond hair and hazel eyes. He was helping to serve the food. Do you by any chance happen to know his contact information or how I can get it?" Lila looked at Bruce hopefully. Bruce thought for a moment.

"Oh, wait,' Bruce said as his face suddenly perked up as if he remembered something.

"Yes?" prodded Lila.

"I have absolutely no idea who you're talking about," Bruce said as his expression turned to normal. "You live in Sweet Valley, Lila. Do you know how many guys fit that description? By the way, to your right is our grand ballroom. This was one of the first rooms built in this mansion in its early days. We've held balls here that have been attended by presidents, foreign ministers, politicians, kings, queens and some of the best names in Hollywood." Bruce opened the doors and Lila peered inside. The room was extremely large and she guessed that it probably took up most of the second floor. The walls were adorned with mirrors and designs decorated in gold. She was actually quite impressed, but she didn't want Bruce to know that.

"Our ballroom is _better_," she said, emphasizing the word better. "Now about the boy, I know his appearance doesn't lead to much, but his name is Kent Matthews." Lila walked around the ballroom, passing by the mirrors to admire her reflection. She looked at Bruce, who, unsurprisingly, was doing the same. "Do you think you can get a number for me? He works for Chris' Catering."

"Hold on. My hair is all messed up." Bruce spent the next two or so minutes arranging his hair in front of the mirrors as Lila impatiently tapped her foot. After some time, he gave himself a smile in the mirror and turned to Lila. "How do I look?" He gave her a dashing smile and awaited her response.

"Bruce," she smiled in amazement as she walked closer to him, acting as if she was almost in a trance. "You look...like..." Bruce looked at her and his smile grew bigger with every word. "an...idiot!" Lila yelled angrily. "The same as you were two minutes ago and for every minute in your life! Is it possible for you to have a conversation with someone without bringing yourself up!" Lila started rubbing her temples. She felt a headache coming on and she knew that it had everything to do with him.

"You should really be careful with your words, Lila. You might as well have put a knife through my heart," he said in a hurtful tone that Lila knew wasn't genuine.

"Don't tempt me, Bruce," Lila said plastering a smile on her flawless face.

"Nice save. Very nice," Bruce said smiling at her and looking very pleased. "Now, what were we talking about again? I forgot."

"Kent Matthews. Kent Matthews and his contact information. Please, Bruce, focus! The sooner that you give me the contact information, the sooner I can leave you alone!" Lila rubbed her temple some more. Her headache was getting worse by the minute.

"But, I love having you here!" he said sarcastically. "You really should come by more often, Lila." Bruce took one look at Lila's aggravated face and quickly shifted gears. "Right, the servant boy. I'm surprised that you haven't used your manipulative ways to get his contact information yourself."

"Believe me I tried. But the company said something about protecting the employee's confidentiality. You can only inquire about an employee's information if you are a previous or current employer."

"Gosh, that must have really bummed you out, huh? Even if you did get his contact information, do you really think that it's appropriate for you to be dating blue collared boys?" Bruce opened the door at the side of the ballroom that lead to the next room which was some kind of sitting room that led to a balcony outside. The room was very elegantly decorated and on this beautiful day, a gentle breeze floated through the room, providing Lila with some degree of relief from the frustration she currently felt. The sunlight entered the room at an angle such that every fabric, painting and piece of furniture was brightly illuminated. Lila couldn't deny the fact that the room was very tasteful. "This is our sun room or sitting room where my mother usually attends to her female guests. The painting above the chimney is one of the most expensive pieces of artwork that we own. The gentlemen depicted are two of the most famous Patman ancestors who lived in Sweet Valley in its earliest days when the canning industry was the dominant industry. I can never remember if the painting was from the late 1800s or early 1900s."

"Bruce, I really don't care about your paintings. Can we please focus on Kent Matthews?"

"No, it's actually from the late 1800s. I'm positive. You know, the guy is pretty ordinary."

"Which one? The gentleman in the helmet?" Lila asked absentmindedly, wondering what had possessed her to think that visiting Bruce would be worthwhile.

"No, your boy Kent Matthews. He's rather ordinary. Focus, Lila," Bruce said in mock condensation.

Bruce's back was facing her and Lila's hands went straight for Bruce's throat. But, he walked away before she could do the deed. Lila needed to calm down. Besides, it was broad daylight and there were probably too many witness lurking about.

"He's apart of a class that is far beneath yours," Bruce continued, oblivious to her frustration. "You have the richest girl in Sweet Valley dating a servant. I shudder to imagine what daddy would think about all this."

"You let me worry about my father and Kent, okay?" Lila said as sweetly as she could manage while silently acknowledging the truth of his words. Bruce raised his eyebrows. "Could you call the catering company? At least find out if he lives in Sweet Valley?"

"Oh, he does, don't worry," Bruce said waving away Lila's concerns. "On Wavery Lane, to be exact. 5294 Wavery Lane in Sweet Valley, California 94501. His home phone number is 906-526-7784." Bruce looked at Lila's shocked expression. "Shouldn't you be writing this down? Actually, don't worry. I wrote it all down for you. Here you go." He took out a piece of paper from his shirt pocket and handed it to Lila. Lila looked at the paper, which read the following, written in Bruce's handwriting:

Kent Joseph Matthews

5294 Wavery Lane

Sweet Valley, CA 94501

Home #: 906-526-7784

Lila looked up from the piece of paper to see Bruce wearing his devilish smile that reminded her sickeningly of the smile worn by the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland. Lila turned around and stormed out of the room. Her anger at Bruce was so blinding that she couldn't form words or coherent thoughts. She could hear Bruce making his long strides to catch up with her. He got in front of her.

"Hey," he said seriously, putting his arm out to stop her. "I got you your information. Don't I at least get a thank you?"

"You're unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable! You put me through 30 minutes or your mindless, useless chatter so that I could get from you what you had in your stupid pocket from the very beginning!"

"I love how you summarize things so succinctly! Well, shall we eat some lunch? My mother made a fabulous meal!" Bruce gestured downstairs to the dinning hall.

Lila blinked in confusion and disbelief. _He's not even going to apologize for what he did, _she thought angrily. _Of course he isn't. He never does. _"And allow your mother to poison me!" Lila began searching frantically for her keys in her bag.

"Hello, mother," Bruce said suddenly, looking past Lila's shoulder. Lila stopped rummaging through her bag and closed her eyes, breathing in deeply and forcing herself to stay calm. She turned around and smiled sweetly as she faced Mrs. Patman, Bruce's mother. She looked at Lila with cold eyes and gave Lila a forced smile in return. Being a Fowler, Lila had never been on good terms with Mr. and Mrs. Patman who she knew regarded her with great suspicion and dislike. However, being proper people, they never blatantly spoke of their dislike towards her or her family, but she always felt it whenever she was in the presence of either of them. Although they may say kind words, the tone in their voice and their body movements always told a different story.

"Hello, Lila. It's wonderful that you decided to pay us a visit. I trust that you and your parents are well?" Marie Patman said all this very calmly and with an air of snobbishness. She recognized the tone because it was the same tone that her own mother used to address her guests. It reflected the superiority and class that most older women possessed who were apart of the rich elite in Sweet Valley. "Would you like to stay for some lunch?" It was clearly obvious to Lila that her presence would not be welcomed if she was crazy enough to stay.

"No, I unfortunately have many things I need to attend to today. So, I'll have to decline your kind invitation." Lila spoke with the same calmness and false politeness that Mrs. Patman had shown to her. After all, she had been brought up in the same world.

"Regretful, but completely understandable. Well, Charles will give you your keys and Bruce will show you out. It was wonderful seeing you again," she said even more coldly.

She walked past Lila and approached her son. Looking at Bruce, her cold expression suddenly turned into one of such warmth that Lila was caught off guard. Bruce leaned down and she planted a loving kiss on his cheek, rubbing the lipstick off the area afterwards. Bruce gave his mother a geniune smile in return.

"Why didn't you tell me she was behind me?" Lila asked after Mrs. Patman had exited to the room on their left.

"You didn't ask," Bruce said simply, smiling. _No, he doesn't like making me miserable_, Lila thought. _He loves it._ Lila headed down the stairs, her anger threatening to boil over.

"Charles," Bruce yelled. "Please get Miss Fowler her coat and keys." He looked at Lila before adding sweetly, "she has places to be and we want to do what we can to not...delay her." Lila stopped halfway down the stairs and quickly turned around, her hair whipping around her face and falling over her shoulders. For the hundredth time, she shook her head disbelievingly and gave him an angry stare. He knew very well that all he had been doing for the past 30 minutes was delaying her. She continued marching down the stairs and when she reached the bottom, Lila snatched her coat from Charles who had extended it to her.

"You know what? You didn't even ask me how I'm doing," Bruce said to Lila as she put on her coat.

"Are you kidding me? I really don't care how you're doing to be completely honest."

"Well, I'm doing fine, if you must know," Bruce said ignoring Lila's response. Lila muttered some profanities under her breath. "I'm a freshman at Sweet Valley University right now. Did I tell you that?"

"You might have mentioned it, oh, about a thousand times," Lila said over her shoulders as she descended the front steps towards her car. Suddenly a question occurred to her that caused her to stop dead in her tracks. She ran back up the steps towards Bruce.

"Bruce, you never mentioned how you knew that I wanted Kent's information. How did you even know that we meet that night?"

Bruce shook his head, chuckling. "I can always count on you to ask the right questions, Li. Well, while you were talking to the servant boy that night, I had poked my handsome head into the kitchen to fire one of the servants that had spilled some wine on one of our most exclusive guests. I saw you drooling over the servant boy and I saw you run after him once he left. The same thing always happens next. You convince yourself that you'll absolutely die if you don't see him again. Then your so called _instincts_ generally kick in and tell you to chase after him even if he's from a class completely different from your own and that you shouldn't be apart of." Bruce paused. "You never chased after me, you know. Is there something about me that puts you off?" Bruce inquired, managing to maintain a straight face.

"Everything about you puts me off. I would _never_ chase after you- the prize just wouldn't be worth it," Lila said with a smug smile, emphasizing the word never.

"You're just giving nothing but punches today, aren't you?" Bruce faked a look of hurt, but them his face immediately broke into a playful smile.

"So what if he's from a completely different world," Lila said, "money doesn't matter." Bruce looked surprised and immediately put his hand on her forehead.

"Temperature seems fine," he said to himself. Lila slapped his hand away from her face.

"Don't touch me," she said harshly, frowning.

"Did you just hear what you said? I'm just curious," Bruce said, narrowing his eyes and looking directly at her. "You said _money doesn't matter_. On the contrary, Lila, money does matter. It matters a great deal especially when it comes to relationships. You are fooling yourself if you think otherwise. You of all people should know that." Bruce talked very seriously, without a hint of sarcasm or humor.

"This will be different," Lila said with determination. "I honestly don't know why you even care and why you are even helping me."

"I'm helping you because I like to consider myself your knight in shinning armor, clearing the path for your one true love," Bruce said with a far away look in his eyes. He was a very good actor, Lila had to give him that.

Lila shook her head. "You're something." Bruce stepped closer.

"Something good?" he asked, giving her a wolfish grin and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"No," Lila said with a small smile and laugh. "Just something."

"Well, that's better than nothing." Bruce gave her a small smile in return. She walked back down the steps and she could feel his eyes on her back. When she got to the last step, she turned around.

"Bruce?" He was beginning to walk back into his house, but he turned around when she said his name. "Thank you. For the information," Lila said hesitating and looking at him. Bruce just starred at her, his expression unreadable. It was the first time that Lila had ever uttered those two words to him in the 14 years that they had known each other. The words had come out unexpectedly and had even caught _her_ by surprise. Lila was waiting for his response, expecting a sarcastic comment or a haughty smile or an egotistical phrase. Instead, Bruce looked down and without a word, he slowly turned around, stepped inside his house and closed the door behind him.


	3. Chapter 3 Two Sides to Every Story

Chapter 3: Two Sides to Every Story

Lila got into her car and began to drive back down the paved road leading to the gates. She didn't know what was going on with Bruce. _Well, I certainly don't have the time or patience to figure him out_, thought Lila. _If I haven't figured him out in 14 years, I'm certainly not going to do it in the next 10 minutes._ As she drove past the gates and onto the open road, she felt like something was nagging her, something she couldn't quite verbalize. She looked at the piece of paper that was on the passenger seat next to her that contained Kent's contact information. Lila's heart sank as her mind hit on a very painful realization. _The number is a fake_. Why wasn't she surprised? She should have expected nothing less from Bruce. Lila put on her Bluetooth headset and dialed the number on her phone. _Let's see whose number this is_, Lila thought despondently. The phone started ringing on the other end and after a few rings, she heard someone pick it up.

"Hello?" The voice belonged to a young male. Lila raised her eyebrows in surprise, unsure of what to say next.

"Hello. Is this Kent Matthews by any chance?" Lila asked after some hesitation.

"Yes, this is him. Who is this?"

Lila froze. She didn't expect this to be the right number and she most certainly didn't expect Kent to answer the phone if it was.

"Hello...um...Kent, hi. This is Katherine," Lila said, trying to nervously cover up the long pause. "I believe we meet at the charity fundraiser last night that was held by the Patman family. It's okay if you don't remember me-"

"Katherine, Hello! Of course I remember you! I completely forgot to get your number last night and I was afraid that I would never see you again." His tone was one of surprise and utter delight. Lila smiled. "How did you get my number, by the way? Not that I'm not pleased or anything," Kent added enthusiastically.

"I asked the Patman family for it and um...they gave it to me. My family has been working for them for a long time and so they were happy to do me this favor. I just told them how much I really liked you." Lila felt bad for perpetuating the lie that she had started last night regarding who she was. _But I like him so much_. _I need to at least see him one more time before I tell him the truth. I need to see if there's anything between us before he writes me off as a supposedly snobbish, rich girl and decides he never wants to see me again. _

"Wow. I'll have to thank them the next time I work for them. I actually wanted to ask you if you wanted to get together this weekend so that we can get to know each other better. Does Friday night work for you?"

"Friday would be perfect," Lila said, trying to steady herself and keep herself from exploding with joy. "Do you want to meet up at the Dariburger at 8pm?'

"That sounds great! I can't wait to see you," he said earnestly.

"Me too. I'll see you soon. Bye." They both hung up. Lila smiled and tossed her phone onto the passenger seat next to her. She only remotely noticed that she was driving through the barren countryside that had annoyed her so much on her way here. Her mind was instead racing ahead as it always did once she met a boy. Lila just hoped that Kent wasn't a complete idiot like most of the boys that she dated.

* * *

><p>Bruce closed the front door behind him and walked outside to continue reading his philosophy book in preparation for the discussion that his class would be having tomorrow. Apparently Lila was very serious about Kent considering how grateful she was for his information. He and Lila had always had an antagonistic relationship which was why nice words exchanged between the two of them were always a cause for surprise. But her "Thank you" made him feel a little guilty. The feeling quickly passed (as it always did). He sat down on one of the many elegant chairs that made up the "living room" that had been designed specifically for the backyard area by a well-known European designer. He picked up his philosophy book, but very quickly realized that he couldn't concentrate. He instead focused on removing the last vestiges of his guilt by reminding himself about the reasons for why he was doing what he was doing.<p>

Hopefully, if everything went well, Lila would get the payback that she deserved. Last month, he grudgingly had attended a lavish dinner that had been held in honor of Lila's birthday. All their mutual friends had attended. Angered that she had been tricked into inviting Bruce to her party, she took advantage of his presence to point out several times during the course of the night that the Fowler family had once again been chosen by _The California Elite _as the richest family in Sweet Valley as a part of their annual rankings of the richest families in California. The Patman family had been ranked as a very close second. Her proclamation had cut to the bone and it frustrated him that she knew so well that the best way to anger him was to present his family and their wealth in a derogatory light.

When Bruce had seen Lila and Kent flirting last night, he had recognized the unmistakable signs of attraction in her eyes and body language, signs that had been burned into his memory after having observed them in her for so many years. Those eyes of hers had followed Kent as he exited the kitchen via the back door. With a plan already brewing in his mind, Bruce raced to catch up with Kent, seeing that Lila was trying to do the same. However, Bruce knew a short cut and was able to get to Kent first and pulled him into the adjacent alley just as Lila stepped into the cold night air looking for him. He remembered very clearly the conversation that had followed.

"_Hey there," Bruce said as he gave Kent a pat on the shoulder and a broad smile. "My name's Bruce Patman- my family is the one hosting this party tonight. I couldn't help but see that you were talking to my friend Lila Fowler." Bruce tried to make his voice sound as friendly as possible. _

_Kent looked at Bruce with a frown on his face and looked at Bruce's hand on his shoulder with distrustful eyes. "Her name is Katherine, not Lila."_

"_I assure you that her name is Lila. I suspect that she didn't tell you her real name because her family, the Fowlers, are one of the richest families in town," he said, emphasizing the word ONE. "If she didn't give you an alternative name, how else would she be able to get you to date her and suck the money out of you till your pockets run dry?" Bruce said the last part with a sympathetic look on his face. "She does that to every guy that she dates. I just wanted to give you a fair warning before you got caught up in something like this." Bruce gave Kent's shoulder what he hoped felt like a friendly and supportive squeeze. "You seem like such a nice guy. I didn't want something like that to happen to you."_

"_Thanks, I really appreciate that," Kent said looking out into space with a contemplative look on his face. Bruce could tell that he was thinking about what he had just said. _

"_Well, that's all I wanted to say," Bruce said putting his hands in his pockets and taking a step back. "I hope you have a nice night and drive safety." Just as his back was turned, Kent spoke again._

"_You know, that's really not nice of her," Kent said seriously. _

_Bruce smiled, marveling at how easily Kent had fallen into his trap. He turned around, his expression somber. "No, it's not," he said empathizing with Kent. "But she is who she is. The guys she dates always end up broke, financially and emotionally." Bruce leaned on the wall next to Kent and pretended to think hard. "I just wish there was some way to give her a taste of her own medicine because you're absolutely right. No guy deserves what she puts them through. I was thinking of one idea, but I could never ask you to do it."_

"_What is it?" Kent asked with a hint of interest in his eyes and voice. _

"_Since she's already interested in you, you could make her fall in love with you and then break her heart at the end. That would teach her a lesson."_

"_Well...I don't know. You don't exactly get rid of evil by doing evil," Kent said hesitating._

_Bruce looked at Kent hard for a moment and then smiled. "You've got some good morals there and a good head on your shoulders." Bruce then pulled out his best weapon in his arsenal. "Well, if you're ever interested just let me know and I'll have the money ready for you," Bruce said over his shoulder as he walked back towards the hotel. _

"_Money?" Kent sounded confused._

"_Oh, yeah," Bruce said turning back around. "You weren't expecting me to have you do this for free, were you?" Bruce acted appalled. "It's a very hard thing I'm asking you to do on behalf of decent guys everywhere. You absolutely deserve some kind of compensation. I'm not a heartless person, you know," he added gently. _

_Kent thought long and hard. "Okay, fine. I'll do it. I need the money anyway." Bruce slapped his hands together and gave Kent a big grin. "Great, so do we have a deal? You break Fowler's heart by, let's say, the end of the month and I'll pay you $20,000." Bruce extended his hand and Kent shook it. The expression on Kent's face showed very clearly that he felt he was making a deal with the devil. Oh, he most certainly is, thought Bruce. _

"_Excellent. My family has access to your contact information since we've employed you. I'll give it to her and have her call you. Let me know as soon as she does. I'll be touch basing with you frequently just in case you...need any assistance of any kind." Bruce gave Kent another smile and turned around and headed back into the hotel._

_Bruce walked back into the ballroom where the event was being held. He looked across the room and spotted Lila who was serving the guests. She had a forlorn look on her face as she occasionally glanced around the room, as if she was hoping to find something that she had lost. His mouth stretched into a wide smile. This revenge was going to be very sweet. _

A ringing from his phone interrupted his trip down memory lane. He looked at his phone to see who it was and smiled once he saw the name that was displayed across the phone's screen.

"Wow. That was fast, even for Lila."

"She just called. We'll be seeing each other this Friday night at the Dariburger at 8pm," Kent said, sounding a little somber and unsure.

"Great. Call me when the date's over."

"What? You don't trust me? I will make her fall in love with me. Don't worry," Kent said, defending himself almost a bit too strongly.

"I'll be the judge of that," Bruce said. "I'll be seeing her during the weekend. Thanks for calling. Enjoy your date," Bruce said sarcastically as he hung up.

Bruce laid back leisurely in his chair. Although he would be the first to admit that his plans against Lila were among his best schemes, he had to also admit that it was quite a challenge to trick Lila since she often got a hint of what he was up to very early on. He just hoped that Kent was a very good actor.


	4. Chapter 4 Feuding Times

Chapter 4: Feuding Times

"Bruce, there you are dear." Marie Patman walked outside and took a seat on the chair situated opposite from Bruce. His mother and him had a very close relationship that grew closer in recent years due a court case that had caused a great deal of stress during the 3 years that it had been drawn out and which involved charges against his father on behalf of a woman that he had had an affair with when Bruce was a child. He always admired his mother greatly for her strength and how determined she was to stand by his father's side through all the court proceedings and media backlash. During the course of the trial, Bruce had moments where he questioned his father's integrity and loyalty to his family. There were moments where he was angry at his father and deeply ashamed at his behavior and infidelity. His mother, however, never wavered in her faith that he was a good man.

In his mind, his mother was an impeccable wife, which was in part due to her fine breeding as a Vanderbilt. She dressed elegantly at all times, was incredibly intelligent and cultured, was president of a number of distinguished charities around the world, and was extremely devoted to her family.

"Are you alright dear?" She looked very concerned and placed her slender hand on his. No matter how much was going on in her social life at any given moment, Mrs. Patman always made time to sit down with her son and remind him of how much she cared.

"Yes, mom, I'm fine." Bruce got up and approached a big mahogany table on his left that contained some snacks and refreshments that the servants had put out. He poured some water for himself and his mother. "I'm just a little distracted, that's all." He walked back to his chair and handed to his mother one of the glasses.

"Does it have anything to do with Lila's visit? I'm surprised she came by." She accepted the glass of water from him. "Usually we respect each other's boundaries," she said with a little bitterness in her voice.

"Don't worry. It wasn't anything serious- she just wanted a small favor. She won't be coming back anytime soon."

"Good. It's astonishing how ungrateful she was when I spoke with her." Bruce laughed.

"I don't think politeness was her main concern," he said sarcastically. "I think she just wanted to get out of here and I can't say I blame her. I feel the same way when I'm in her home."

Mrs. Patman's face turned sour. "Don't you dare defend her or her rude manners or anything else that she does. If it was you, you would have been more graceful about your exit. Our manners are much more refined than theirs are. It's part of what makes our traditional ways so charming."

"I most certainly can't argue with you there," Bruce said as he smiled at his mother. "That's part of the reason I avoid them as much as I can." His mother smiled approvingly.

"By the way," his mother continued, "your father wanted me to tell you that we're feuding with the Fowlers again."

"Lila didn't mention that. What is it about this time?" Bruce asked exasperated. Over the years, feuds between the two families had become more and more frequent and they always were a cause for stress. They usually involved long hours at the law office as his father and Mr. Fowler argued over compromise after compromise. They also involved a great deal of time, money and embarrassment as both families exchanged insults back and forth in an effort to weaken the other's position when it came to negotiating a deal or to completely exhaust the other's resolve to pursue the matter of contention further.

"Your father will explain it to you when he gets home. He didn't want to talk about it over the phone in case the call was intercepted."

"Is now a good time?" Bruce turned around at the sound of the deep voice behind him, getting up from his seat as he did so, a habit that had been ingrained in him at a very young age and that he did every time his father entered the room.

"Dad. How are you?" He walked over to his father and took his hand. His father squeezed his hand firmly and gave Bruce's shoulder a strong squeeze as well.

"Good, good," Mr. Patman said smiling at Bruce. "When did you get back?"

"Yesterday night, sir." Bruce sat back down on his chair as his father pulled up another one to sit next to his wife.

"How's college life, son? Are you learning everything that you can about business? Of course, I assume you're at the top of your class since you've learned everything you already need to know from me. Still, I expect you to learn as much as you can since you'll be taking over the company from me one day. Understand?"

"Absolutely, sir," Bruce said looking down, fully aware of the fact that he wasn't being respectful. His father owned one of the largest companies in California that had a serious monopoly on the oil industry in the state and thus, possessed a huge amount of power when it came to the transportation industry. His father was very good at what he did, although people often remarked that he could sometimes be very cold. Nevertheless, Bruce respected and admired him greatly, even though he slightly resented the fact that his father was often absent for long stretches of time while he was growing up. He looked up to his father and always tried his best to emulate him and to make him proud. If he was honest with himself, the prospect of taking over the family company frightened him since there would be big shoes to fill and although he was always good at everything that he did, a small part of him knew that failure was always waiting just around the croner.. Thinking of the fact that this company was the crowning jewel of his family's legacy and had been passed down from father to son for several generations didn't do anything to soften his anxieties either.

"I'm learning a great deal about business concepts and models right now that's supplementing what I already know," Bruce said earnestly.

"Good job," Henry Patman placed his hand on his son's cheek in a rare display of affection and smiled. "I have no doubts about you Bruce. None at all." Bruce's mother beamed at him. Bruce felt an overwhelming feeding of love and appreciation for his father. He very rarely gave out praise and whenever he did, Bruce soaked up every word. He felt the urge to hug him and to thank him a hundred times for having faith in him, but he knew that doing so wouldn't be appropriate. It took him some time to suppress such urges so that he could speak and change the topic of the conversation. He knew that his father didn't like to dwell on emotional topics- they made him very uncomfortable since he wasn't a very emotional man. Bruce knew this fact all too well.

"So, tell me about this feud with the Fowlers. What is it about this time?"

Mr. Patman leaned back into his chair, sighing deeply. His face looked tired and his tone was one of suppressed anger. "It revolves around a plot of land that is situated near where our two territories cross paths. The Fowlers want to use the land to expand their computer business. They would build a building on the land that would function as the headquarters for a wide range of new technological projects that they're developing for the government. Our company would like to use the land to build an assembly factory to replace the one that burned down early this year." Mr. Patman rose to get himself a glass of water. While he was pouring the water, he continued. "It's obvious which option is the stronger one here. A new building for them is superfluous, for us, it's necessary; it will allow us to compensate for what we lost. Also, their new building, as they envision it, will house projects devoted to developing new technologies. Our factory, on the other hand, will create new jobs. In this economy, which is more important?" Mr. Patman implored angrily, looking at Bruce and his wife. "Developing monetary capital or human capital?" Mr. Patman banged his glass on the table and continued, his voice rising with every word as it always did whenever he spoke about the Fowlers. "The answer is clear as day, but the Fowlers insist on being stupidly oblivious to what this city needs if it is going to stay ahead of the recession that is plaguing our country right now!" Mr. Patman sat back down, shaking his head and rubbing his temple.

"So who's rightfully entitled to the plot of land in question? Does it overlap our territory more than theirs?" Bruce said trying to speak calmly so as to not further anger his father.

"They're not sure at this moment. They're investigating the situation right now and land surveyors are measuring the boundaries as we speak. We should have an answer within the next few days."

Bruce breathed a sigh of relief. Usually issues involving land disputes between the two families were easy to resolve. Although both families did not have any official claim to any part of the city's land, there was an unspoken acknowledgement between the two families regarding what each family's "territory" consisted of. Sweet Valley was bordered on the West by the Pacific Ocean and on the East by a wide mountain range. The Fowlers lived near the ocean and the Patman's lived up in the mountains. Each family had claims to their respective sides. The midline was located around Sweet Valley High, Sweet Valley University and other major locations in the city and was the area involved in the current dispute. The area itself was a subject of a great contention since it was optimal for businesses, residing at the heart of Sweet Valley. In order to avoid too many clashes when conflicts of interests occurred surrounding land, the families agreed to be respectful regarding what each family decided to do in their respective "territories." If the surveyors found that the area in question was located within his family's boundaries, the Fowlers would immediately back off and wouldn't pursue the matter further. His family would be expected to do the same if the opposite was found to be the case.

"Well, Bruce," his father said as he was wrapping up the discussion of the topic, "you know the rules. Don't talk to any of the Fowlers until this gets resolved. We don't want to accidentally say something that they can use against us. This applies to the charity event that we're going to this weekend that, unfortunately, they'll also be present at."

"Of course. I absolutely understand. Although, I wish you would have told me sooner. Lila came by just right now and I spoke to her last night too. But, our conversations had nothing to do with the land so don't worry about that."

Henry Patman looked at Bruce with an expression of surprise. "She came here," he said pointing down to the ground that was beneath them. "Why?"

"She just wanted some contact information regarding a boy that I was acquainted with," Bruce said absentmindedly as his fingers flew across his touch phone so that he could read his e-mail. "Her visit was short, but not so sweet," he said, giving his parents "the look" that they always shared whenever they talked about something awful that the Fowlers had done.

"Well, as long as that's all she wanted." Mr. Patman still looked very suspicious.

"Yes, that's all she wanted," Bruce said, hoping to absolve his father's suspicions.


	5. Chapter 5 First Impressions

Lila arrived at the Dariburger at 7:45pm wearing straight jeans, a beige cashmere sweater over a white plaid shirt, and black high heels. She had always been taught to be punctual and her father often said to her that if she was ever on time, she was already late. Coming early was always the best way to make a great first impression.

However, at 8:30pm, Lila was still waiting for Kent at the Dariburger. He hadn't shown up and she couldn't imagine why. She looked at her phone to make sure that she hadn't missed a call. There were no calls waiting. _Great, I've been stood up_. Just when she was about to get up and walk out the door, the door itself opened and Kent stepped into the restaurant. He looked around and when he spotted her, he waved at her and headed in her direction.

"Hey Lila! How are you doing?" He smiled at her and sat down at the table.

"I'm good. Is everything alright with you?"

"Yes, everything is fine," Kent said a bit confused upon hearing the concern in Lila's voice. "Why would you think that something would be wrong?"

"I'm just wondering why you're late," Lila said, trying to keep her voice even. When Kent continued to look confused, Lila clarified the time for him. "It's almost 8:30pm and we agreed to meet up at 8:00pm."

"Oh, I thought that I would just be fashionably late," he said smiling shyly.

"Well, being late has unfortunately gone out of style," Lila snapped.

"Sorry. I didn't know that you were a punctual nut," Kent said with a small laugh.

Lila knew that he was joking, but she couldn't help but feel annoyed. She also felt disappointed since she at least expected Kent to have the courtesy and sensibility to know that punctuality on a first date was important. Nevertheless, Lila tried to not let his tardiness ruin the evening.

"I'm so glad that we were able to meet up tonight," Lila said, trying to sound positive despite her annoyance. "But before we continue, there's something about me that I have to tell you."

"Okay," Kent said slowly, looking at her with uncertainty.

"My name's not Katherine. It's Lila Fowler. My family owns Fowler Enterprise," Lila said slowly, giving Kent time to absorb the information.

"That must mean you're pretty rich, huh?"

Lila was surprised at his blunt statement. "Yes, we're quite rich. In fact, we're the richest family in Sweet Valley," Lila continued brightly, her smile wide. She was proud of her family's status and she wasn't going to be coy about it. Not for Kent or for anyone.

"That's quite a surprise. Thanks for telling me. Are you ready to order? I'm starved. I really hope that they have the cheeseburgers that I really love. They're available as a special only on Tuesdays, but they sell them on Fridays too sometimes." Kent beckoned for the waiter to come over and to give them menus.

_He took that...well,_ she thought resentfully. Almost too well. Lila had expected a little more surprise and amazement on his part since the Fowler fortune was certainly not a topic that you just mentioned briefly before casually moving on to the food selections for dinner.

"I'm starved too," Lila said, forcing a chuckle.

Lila's mother always told her that the first 5 minutes of a date usually do a pretty good job of predicting how the rest of the evening will generally go. Her mother's theory was very quickly validated. Kent talked a great deal about his life, his family and his job and asked only a few questions about her own life. Lila had to fight the urge to stick her fork in her eyes. Not only was the conversation mundane, but Lila could not deny the fact that she didn't feel even remotely drawn to him and her initial annoyance only intensified during the course of the evening. She was just about to throw down her napkin and suggest that they end their boring chit chat and part ways, when Bruce walked in accompanied by his cousin Roger. Bruce took a quick glance at the room and caught Lila's eyes. He nodded his head in acknowledgement and got in the long line, the end of which was close to where their booth was, near the back of the restaurant. Lila bit her lip. She was not going to let Bruce Patman of all people see how unsuitable this "blue-collared' boy was for her. The last thing that she needed was him gloating about how right he was. She immediately reached for Kent's hand, trying to catch bits and pieces of the conversation that he was apparently having with himself.

"That's really interesting," Lila said, trying to sound and look enthralled by his every word.

"Really?" Kent's expression turned to one of absolute delight. "Most people find my stories about my dog Oliver kind of boring," he said laughing nervously. "For a second there, I thought I was boring you to death."

You have no idea, Lila thought. "No, not at all," she said gripping his hand even more tightly. "Your dog sounds...fascinating."

"Thanks," Kent said genuinely. His phone rang and he nervously scrambled to get it.

Lila looked up to find Bruce staring at her. She gave him a small wave and a forced smile. He smiled very broadly in return, laughing as he turned to whisper something to Roger. Lila looked at Kent who was still talking on the phone. Although she plastered a smile on her face, her annoyance resurfaced. Kent apparently didn't have the decency to turn his phone on silent while on a date. Phone disruptions on a date were one of the many things that she absolutely could not stand.

Finally, Kent got off the phone. "That was my brother. He wants me to order a couple of Burgers for him and bring them home." Lila looked at the long line that was now occupying every inch of the restaurant. The place was packed, as it usually was on a Friday night.

"That could probably take a long time," Lila said, trying to smile sweetly. "Maybe you should ask your brother if you can pick up burgers for him some other time. You are, after all, on a date," she said, trying hard to subtly suggest to Kent that he was being rude.

He apparently wasn't taking the hint. "No, I don't think so. He really loves these burgers. It will only take 30 minutes or so. This actually works out great because we can talk more while we wait," Kent said enthusiastically.

Lila resisted the strong urge to slap him. "My parents actually said that they really wanted me home by 10:30pm and it's already 10:10pm. Why don't I just call my chauffeur to come get me?"

"Sure, if that's what you want to do," Kent said in a kind tone, encouragingly.

"Great," Lila said relieved. She called her chauffeur, spent another agonizing 10 minutes with Kent and then eyed the door as soon as she saw a sleek black Limousine pull up.

"Well, there's my ride," she said getting up.

"Great. I'll walk you out," Kent said. As soon as they were outside, Kent spoke again. "This was fun. We should definitely get together soon again," he said.

"Really?" Lila said incredulously. Lila looked inside the Dariburger and could see Bruce stealing glances at them as he waited in line and talked to Roger. "Did you have fun? Because I sure as hell didn't," she said smiling to give any outsider the impression that they were exchanging pleasant good-byes. "I think that it would be best if we didn't see each other again...ever." Lila then hastily got inside her Limousine. Once comfortably inside, she shut the door and let out the huge groan of frustration that she had been holding in all night. "Never again," she muttered under her breath as the Limousine drove away.

* * *

><p>Bruce looked outside to where Kent was standing, an expression of confusion and hurt on Kent's face. He turned to Roger.<p>

"I'm going to say hello to someone that I know. You can stay in line." Roger nodded, looking miserably at the long line ahead of them that wasn't moving due to what seemed like an equipment malfunction in the kitchen that was halting everyone's orders. Bruce could hear people in the line muttering angry words about the service.

Bruce walked to the front doors. Holding them open, he called out to Kent. "Kent! Why don't you come on inside and we'll have a little chat. It's chilly," Bruce said matter-of-factly, jerking his head towards the inside of the Dariburger. Kent looked at Bruce and walked towards him.

"Yeah, sure," Kent said despondently, a little distracted. Bruce led the way. They found a seat near the windows close to where Roger was in the line. Bruce caught Roger's eyes so that he knew where they were sitting.

"So, how did your date go?" Bruce leaned back, lazily draping his arm along the top of the booth that they were in. After watching Kent and Lila during the last half of their date, he had a pretty good idea of what Kent's answer would be.

"I thought that it went well, but now I'm not so sure," he said looking outside the window where Lila's limousine had been. "I can't imagine what went wrong."

Bruce laughed quietly and shook his head. "Where do you want me to start?" He leaned forward and showed Kent the fingers on his hand. He pointed to his thumb. "Firstly, you were ridiculously late." Kent gave him a questioning look. "How do I know that? When I arrived, you both were barely halfway through your meal and it was already 9:00pm. I told you she was rich and rich people care a lot about punctuality. If you're on time for something, you're already late. Secondly," he said pointing to the next finger on his hand, "when I was watching you two talk, your mouth was the only one moving and her's was occasionally, when she was trying to suppress a groan of frustration. She was bored to death with how much you talked about yourself. Thirdly, you didn't even try to hold on to her and you just let her take herself home. Women want to know that you matter to them and you pretty much showed her the door."

"But, there's a reason why I couldn't take her home. I had to stay to-" Kent began.

"I don't need to know your reasons. They're probably silly anyway," Bruce said sharply. "Fourthly," he continued, "you answered your phone during the date which is unacceptable unless it's an emergency. Nothing is more annoying than when someone interrupts a date to answer their phone about something that is irrelevant."

From the look on Kent's face, Bruce could easily tell that he was hurt and in shock. "Oh, god, you actually like her, don't you?" Kent was silent, looking down at his hands. Bruce groaned in frustration. "Well, that settles it."

"Settles what?" Kent asked, looking at Bruce with sad puppy dog eyes and that made him sick in the stomach.

"It means that you're absolutely useless to me. The deal is off," Bruce said harshly as he got up from the table to join Roger in the stagnant line nearby. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Kent get up and quickly head out the door.

* * *

><p>"That was really cold, even for you, Bruce," Roger said looking at Bruce with a disgusted look on his face and his arms folded across his chest. Bruce rolled his eyes.<p>

"Oh, please." Roger's expression didn't change. "What did you want me to do? Sugarcoat the whole situation? Sometimes harsh words get the point across much more effectively than nice ones."

"So, I guess that means that you're dropping the whole 'Revenge on Lila' plan, right?" Roger's tone was hopeful.

"Yes...for now. The servant boy is useless to me." Bruce paused. "He's actually in love with her. How someone- anyone- can love that woman, I'll never understand. I should've seen the evidence of his feelings from a mile away. I'm going to have to find someone else or think of an entirely new plan," Bruce said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully and staring straight ahead at nothing in particular. Roger let out a sigh of exasperation.

"You know, you've spent half your life trying to get back at Lila. Your antagonistic relationship with her is probably the longest relationship you've had with a girl. I thought that the next generation was suppose to correct the mistakes of the previous one. You both are no better than your parents. Instead of stopping this feud, you're perpetuating and aggravating it. Don't you think it's time to give it up?"

"This thing we have between the two of us is not my fault," Bruce insisted seriously. "Every time I make things even and try to fix things, she tips the scales again, forcing me to reestablish the equilibrium."

"Right," Roger said slowly in a tone that indicated that he didn't believe Bruce at all. "I think you both take some kind of perverse thrill in torturing each other." Roger than paused and looked at Bruce thoughtfully. "Are you sure you don't like her even a tiny bit? You must if you're willing to put so much effort into hating her and scheming against her. She must mean something to you if you give her so much of your time."

Bruce groaned out loud in frustration and look angrily at his cousin. "You honestly think I do what I do to her because I'm motivated by affection or attraction?" He tried to keep his voice even, but his efforts were in vain. "I'm motivated by hatred towards her and her family and everything that they stand for! You would do us all a favor if you were to actually remember that too every now and then. Our adversarial relationship with the Fowlers is as much apart of our legacy as our money and traditions are. God, I can't believe how many times I've had to tell you that! You're a Patman, Roger! You need to start acting like one," Bruce said harshly and loudly.

"Sorry," Roger said quietly with a frown on his face. "So, you said that the guy actually likes her," Roger said, desperate to change the topic of the conversation.

"Yes, he does. It was quite obvious," Bruce said rubbing his temple, wondering where this conversation was going. Kent might as well be a non-person to him now. Why did Roger want to keep talking about him?

"You could help the guy out. Help him to get the girl of his dreams."

Bruce laughed out loud, catching the attention of the people around them. He looked incredulously at Roger, as if he was waiting for some sign that Roger was joking.

"You're joking, right? Please tell me you're joking. You've seen him and you heard our conversation. He's hopeless. Lila has impossibly high standards and that guy doesn't even come close to meeting them. I'm not going to waste my time helping him."

"I just feel bad for him and he seems like a nice guy. He just needs some help," Roger said empathetically.

"You feel bad for everyone, Roger. It's so annoying. If you can't stand to see him unhappy, then why don't you make him your charity case."

"Because, you know Lila better than anyone. You know her world- you live in it," Roger said pointedly.

"You have a very cold heart, Bruce," Roger said sadly when Bruce continued to not answer. Bruce closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He absolutely hated how uncomfortable his cousin could make him feel sometimes. "Tell you what," Roger continued pressing the issue, "if you can hook them up with each other, I'll give you my position on the executive board at Patman Corporations." Bruce turned around sharply to look at Roger, an expression of surprise and disbelief on his face. A few months ago, when Bruce's grandfather had arrived in town for his annual visit, he had put both boys through some tough questions and tasks in order to decide which one of them was most suitable for a board member position in the family's company. He felt that the time was right for either Bruce or Roger to learn more about Patman Corporations and to be more involved in running the company by helping to make executive decisions. After all, his grandfather had said, one of them would be CEO someday and would have to make thousands of such decisions every day. One bad decision could bring the company crashing down, putting to shame the efforts of the last 10 generations of Patmans.

"You shouldn't do that. That position is nothing to joke about. Why would you do that?"

"Because I want to see if your heart is really as cold as it appears to be," Roger said in a seemingly offhanded manner, shrugging his shoulders. Bruce noticed the seriousness in his tone.

Bruce rolled his eyes and after thinking about it for a bit, he outstretched his hand and shook Roger's. "You got yourself a deal. How long do I have?"

"You have until the Fowler's annual spring ball. The objective is to get her to ask him to the ball and for them to go together as an official couple. Think you can handle that?"

"Of course I can," he said confidently, giving his cousin a wide smile.

Roger raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "I thought you said that Kent was hopeless."

"Not if he has me. Don't get too comfortable in your office seat. Your board position is mine."


End file.
